Almost every digital consultant that I’ve ever worked with or seen work is dealing in data of some kind. It might be conversion rates, open rates, or demographic data. One question that we struggle with is what data to present to our clients.

Here’s a way to tell whether a metric is client-worthy.

Step 1: State the metric out loud in a sentence

88% of our Facebook followers are female.

Step 2: Which reaction do you have to that statement?

Duh.

So what.

Does that mean we should…

If you say “Duh,” include the data, but as an aside. You’re verifying assumptions. “It’s no surprise that 88% of our Facebook followers are female.”

If you say “So what,” dump it. Seriously. No one cares.

If you say “Does that mean we should…” give it your all. This is an action metric. “Our Facebook followers are 88% female. Let’s take a closer look at all those ads we put in Playboy, and make sure they are giving us a proper return on investment.”

P.S. I don’t actually know the demographic make up of readers of Playboy. It’s just a guess. Don’t judge me.